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National Authority for the Combat of Poverty Law, 5785-2025

חוק הרשות הלאומית למאבק בעוני, תשפ"ה-2025

Published: 2025-04-03Consolidated Hebrew text as of 2025-10-03 · Last amended 2025-04-03✓ Amendment status checked against the Knesset legislation record on 2026-09-28
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Unofficial English translation — for reference only. It may contain errors or omissions and cannot be relied on as a legal text. Only the Hebrew text published in Reshumot is legally binding.More

This English text was translated from the official Hebrew using a range of translation tools, and it undergoes ongoing checks and updates. It is not a certified translation.

Despite these checks, it may contain errors, omissions, or imprecise renderings of legal terminology and cross-references, and it may not yet reflect the latest amendments. It cannot be relied upon as a legal text.

The Hebrew text as published in Reshumot (ספר החוקים) and on the Knesset website is the sole authoritative and legally binding version. In any discrepancy, the Hebrew text prevails.

This translation is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For use in legal proceedings, request a certified Expert Legal Opinion.

Chapter I: Purpose and Definitions

Purpose§

1.

The purpose of this Law is to establish a national authority for the combat of poverty that shall act to reduce poverty, to prevent its deepening and to extricate persons from poverty, all in order to promote every person's right to a life of dignity.

Definitions§

2.

In this Law –

"Budget Foundations Law" – the Budget Foundations Law, 5745-1985;

"the Council" – the Council of the Authority appointed under Section 7;

"the Director" – the Director of the Authority appointed under Section 18;

"the Ministry" – the Ministry of Welfare and Social Security;

"the Authority" – the National Authority for the Combat of Poverty established under Section 3;

"the Minister" – the Minister of Welfare and Social Security.

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Chapter II: Establishment of the Authority and Its Functions

Establishment of the Authority§

3.
(a)The National Authority for the Combat of Poverty is hereby established within the Ministry of Welfare and Social Security, and shall act to reduce the dimensions of poverty in Israel in accordance with the provisions of this Law.
(b)The Authority shall be independent in the exercise of its powers for the purpose of fulfilling its functions in accordance with the provisions of this Law.
(c)A Government Ministry, a local authority and a corporation established by law shall consult with the Authority on a particular matter connected to its fields of activity.

Functions of the Authority§

4.

The functions of the Authority are:

(1)to formulate a multi-year national plan for the combat of poverty (hereinafter – the multi-year national plan), for a period of not less than five years, and to bring it for approval by the Government;
(2)to formulate annual plans for the implementation of the multi-year national plan; annual plans as aforesaid shall be prepared with regard, inter alia, to the needs of different population groups, including different age groups, and shall also include proposals for the prevention of poverty;
(3)to supervise the entities that are obligated to implement the multi-year national plan and the annual plans;
(4)to advise the Minister and the Government in the formulation of policy and plans in the field of the combat against poverty and its prevention, including in the field of food rescue and the provision of assistance to disadvantaged populations, including by way of food distribution;
(5)to coordinate between Government Ministries and between them and local authorities with respect to all matters relating to the reduction of the dimensions of poverty, including to promote cooperation between Government Ministries, auxiliary units, local authorities, associations, civil society organisations and additional bodies in the fields of activity of the Authority, including the promotion of actions for the realisation and exercise of rights for disadvantaged populations;
(6)to assist, to the extent necessary, the Government and local authorities in the fields of activity of the Authority in providing assistance for the distribution of food to populations in need thereof, and also to assist in the prevention of poverty among populations that are at risk of poverty;
(7)to assist associations and civil society organisations acting to combat poverty in the fields of activity of the Authority, and also to recommend to Government Ministries the provision of financial support for the activity of such bodies;
(8)to propose legislation in the fields of activity of the Authority after consultation with the relevant parties;
(9)to submit opinions on bills and subsidiary legislation in accordance with the provisions of Section 6;
(10)to conduct monitoring and follow-up on the activity of Government Ministries, auxiliary units, local authorities and associations on matters within the fields of activity of the Authority, including with respect to food donations and the provision of financial assistance to persons in need and with respect to the implementation of the multi-year national plan and the annual plans for its implementation;
(11)to establish and manage a national centre for information and research in the fields of activity of the Authority in accordance with the provisions of Chapter VI, including to promote and maintain relations with international bodies operating in the fields of activity of the Authority at its discretion, and also to conduct and initiate surveys and research in those fields;
(12)to deal with any other matter and to carry out any other action connected to the combat of poverty that has not been imposed by law on another authority;
(13)to fulfil any other function imposed on it under this Law.

Multi-Year National Plan and Annual Plans§

5.
(a)The Authority shall formulate a multi-year national plan for the combat of poverty, and shall, inter alia, set measurable targets therein for the reduction of poverty; after approval of the multi-year national plan by the Council, the Authority shall submit it for approval by the Government.
(b)After approval of the multi-year national plan by the Government, the Authority shall formulate annual plans for its implementation and shall bring them for approval by the Council by June of each year in respect of the following financial year.
(c)The Authority shall transmit to the Minister, not later than 15 February of each year, a report on the multi-year national plan and on the implementation of the annual plan by the Authority in the budget year preceding the date of the report and on its results and implementation; the Authority shall submit the said report to the Labour and Welfare Committee of the Knesset not later than 15 March of each year.
(d)The Authority shall publish the report referred to in subsection (c) on its website.

Opinions on Legislation and Subsidiary Legislation§

6.

Where a bill, including an annual budget bill, has been referred to a committee of the Knesset committees (in this Section – the Committee), or subsidiary legislation has been brought for approval by the Committee or for consultation with it, and they relate to a field within the fields of activity of the Authority or have implications for the combat of poverty or for disadvantaged populations – the Authority shall submit to the Committee an opinion regarding the said implications (in this Section – a poverty combat opinion); the poverty combat opinion shall be placed on the table of the Committee in advance of the discussion on the matter and shall include reference to the possible effects of the arrangements proposed in the bill or in the subsidiary legislation on the combat of poverty.

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Chapter III: The Council

Appointment and Composition of the Council§

7.
(a)The Minister shall appoint a council of 29 members, with the following composition:
(1)three employees of the Ministry;
(2)an employee of the Prime Minister's Office, upon the recommendation of the Prime Minister;
(3)an employee of the Ministry of Finance, upon the recommendation of the Minister of Finance;
(4)an employee of the Ministry of the Interior, upon the recommendation of the Minister of the Interior;
(5)an employee of the Ministry of Health, upon the recommendation of the Minister of Health;
(6)an employee of the Ministry of Education, upon the recommendation of the Minister of Education;
(7)an employee of the Ministry of the Negev, Galilee and National Resilience, upon the recommendation of the Minister of the Negev, Galilee and National Resilience;
(8)an employee of the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, upon the recommendation of the Minister of Aliyah and Integration;
(9)an employee of the Ministry for Social Equality and Advancement of the Status of Women, upon the recommendation of the Minister for Social Equality and Advancement of the Status of Women;
(10)an employee of the Ministry of Construction and Housing, upon the recommendation of the Minister of Construction and Housing;
(11)an employee of the Ministry of Transport and Road Safety, upon the recommendation of the Minister of Transport and Road Safety;
(12)an employee of the Ministry of Justice, upon the recommendation of the Minister of Justice;
(13)the Deputy Director General for Research and Planning at the National Insurance Institute and an additional employee of the National Insurance Institute, upon the recommendation of the Minister of Labour;
(14)an employee of the Employment Service, upon the recommendation of the Minister of Economy and Industry;
(15)an employee of the Central Bureau of Statistics, upon the recommendation of the National Statistician;
(16)a representative of the Centre of Local Government, upon the recommendation of the Chairperson of the Centre of Local Government;
(17)a representative of the Centre of Regional Government, upon the recommendation of the Chairperson of the Centre of Regional Government;
(18)eight public representatives with knowledge and experience in a field within the fields of activity of the Authority, including at least one with knowledge and experience in the field of social work, at least one from among persons with lived experience of poverty, and at least three representatives on behalf of aid organisations operating in those fields;
(19)a senior academic staff member at an institution of higher education engaged in a field within the fields of activity of the Authority.
(b)A member of the Council shall be a resident of Israel as defined in the Foster Care for Children Law, 5776-2016.
(c)The composition of the members of the Council who are public representatives shall reflect, to the extent possible, the diversity of the fields of activity of the Authority; such members of the Council shall not be State employees.
(d)In the selection of members of the Council who are public representatives, adequate expression shall be given, to the extent possible, in the circumstances of the matter, to the representation of all population groups in society, including the population groups listed in section 15a(a) of the State Service (Appointments) Law, 5719-1959; without derogating from the foregoing, at least one of the public representatives as aforesaid shall be from among the ultra-Orthodox population and at least one – from among the Arab population.
(e)A person who has been convicted of a criminal offence or a disciplinary offence which, by reason of its nature, gravity or circumstances, renders that person unfit to serve as a member of the Council, or against whom an indictment has been filed for such an offence and a final judgment has not yet been given in the matter, shall not be appointed as a member of the Council.
(f)Notice of the appointment of the Council and its composition shall be published in Reshumot (Official Gazette).

Chairperson of the Council and Deputy Chairperson§

8.
(a)The Minister shall appoint from among the members of the Council the Chairperson of the Council and the Deputy Chairperson; with respect to the Deputy Chairperson, if the Chairperson was appointed from among the representatives of Government Ministries, the Deputy Chairperson shall be appointed from among the public representatives, and vice versa.
(b)Notice of the appointment of the Chairperson of the Council and the Deputy Chairperson shall be published in Reshumot (Official Gazette).

Functions of the Council§

9.

The functions of the Council are:

(1)to lay down the policy and lines of action of the Authority;
(2)to direct the Director and the Authority in the fulfilment of their functions under this Law;
(3)to approve the multi-year national plan that the Authority shall prepare before it is brought for approval by the Government;
(4)to approve the annual plans for the implementation of the multi-year national plan;
(5)to deliberate on the annual budget proposal and the annual report submitted to it by the Authority;
(6)to deliberate on any matter relating to the ongoing activity and management of the Authority.

Meetings of the Council§

10.
(a)The Council shall convene at least four times a year.
(b)The Council shall hold a special meeting if at least one third of its members so demand.
(c)The Chairperson of the Council shall convene the meetings and shall determine their time, place and agenda.

Rules of Procedure of the Council§

11.
(a)
(1)The quorum at meetings of the Council is ten members, including the Chairperson of the Council or the Deputy Chairperson, provided that three of those present are representatives of Government Ministries;
(2)once a meeting has been opened with a quorum, the continuation of the meeting shall be lawful with any number of those present, provided that at the time of adopting decisions at least eight members are present, including the Chairperson of the Council or the Deputy Chairperson, and two of those present are representatives of Government Ministries;
(3)if there was no quorum at the time a meeting of the Council was opened, the Chairperson of the Council may defer it by half an hour; after the said half hour has elapsed, the meeting shall be lawful with any number of those present, but the provisions of paragraph (2) shall apply to the adoption of decisions.
(b)Decisions of the Council shall be adopted by a majority of the votes of the members participating and voting; if the votes are equal, the vote of the Chairperson of the Council shall be decisive, and in the Chairperson's absence – the vote of the Deputy Chairperson.
(c)The Council shall determine its own rules of procedure, to the extent that they have not been determined under this Law.

Validity of Actions§

12.

The existence of the Council, its powers and the validity of its decisions shall not be affected by reason of a vacancy in the position of a member of the Council or by reason of a defect in the appointment of a member or in the continuation of that member's tenure, provided that a majority of its members are serving.

Term of Office§

13.

The term of office of a member of the Council appointed under section 7(a) shall be four years, and the Minister may extend the term of office for an additional period not exceeding four years, provided that the member shall not serve for more than two consecutive terms of office.

Termination of Office before the End of the Term of Office§

14.
(a)A member of the Council shall cease to serve thereon before the end of the term of office upon the occurrence of one of the following:
(1)the member resigned by delivering a letter of resignation to the Minister;
(2)the member ceased to be an employee of the Government Ministry or a member of the body that the member represents on the Council, and if the member is a public representative – the member was appointed as a State employee.
(b)Where one of the following circumstances arose in respect of a member of the Council, the Minister shall remove the member from office before the end of the term of office and soon after the occurrence of the circumstance, by written notice:
(1)a condition required for the member's appointment ceased to be fulfilled, or a circumstance arose that disqualifies the member under this Law from serving as a member of the Council;
(2)the member was convicted of a criminal offence or a disciplinary offence which, by reason of its nature, gravity or circumstances, renders the member unfit to serve as a member of the Council;
(3)the member is permanently prevented from fulfilling the member's functions.
(c)The Minister, after consultation with the Chairperson of the Council, and with respect to the Chairperson of the Council – with the consent of the Prime Minister, may remove a member of the Council from office before the end of the term of office if the Minister determined that the member is not fulfilling the member's functions properly.
(d)The Minister, after consultation with the Chairperson of the Council, may remove a member of the Council from office before the end of the term of office, if the member of the Council was absent without reasonable cause from three consecutive meetings of the Council or from more than half the meetings held during one year.
(e)Where an indictment was filed against a member of the Council for an offence which, by reason of its nature, gravity or circumstances, renders the member unfit to serve on the Council, the Minister may suspend the member of the Council from office until a final judgment is given in the matter and may appoint a substitute for the member for the period of the suspension in accordance with the provisions of sections 7 and 8, as the case may be.
(f)The Minister shall not terminate the office of a member of the Council under subsections (b) to (e) except after affording the member an opportunity to state the member's arguments on the matter.
(g)Where a member of the Council ceased to serve under the provisions of this Section, the Minister shall act in accordance with the provisions of Section 7 to appoint another member in that member's place as soon as possible.

Conflict of Interests§

15.
(a)A person who, by reason of serving on the Council, would regularly be in a situation of conflict of interests that would prevent the person from fulfilling the main part of the person's function on the Council, shall not be appointed as a member of the Council and shall not serve as such.
(b)A member of the Council shall not deal, within the framework of the member's function, with a matter the handling of which would cause the member to be in a situation of conflict of interests.
(c)Where a member of the Council becomes aware that the member may be in a situation of conflict of interests as referred to in subsections (a) or (b), the member shall notify the Chairperson of the Council thereof as soon as possible; if the said member of the Council is the Chairperson – the member shall notify the Minister thereof.
(d)In this Section –

"family member" – spouse, parent, grandparent, son or daughter and their spouses, brother or sister and their children, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, uncle or aunt and their children, father-in-law, mother-in-law, father-in-law (husband's side), mother-in-law (husband's side), grandson or granddaughter, including a family member as aforesaid who is a step-relative;

"interested party" – as defined in the Securities Law, 5728-1968;

"handling" – including the making of a decision, raising a matter for discussion, presence at a discussion, participation in a discussion or in a vote, or engagement in a matter outside a discussion;

"conflict of interests", of a member of the Council – a conflict of interests between the fulfilment of the member's function on the Council and a personal interest or another function, whether remunerated or not, of the member or of the member's relative;

"relative", of a member of the Council – any one of the following:

(1)a family member of the member of the Council;
(2)a person in whose financial situation the member of the Council has an interest;
(3)a corporation in which the member of the Council, the member's family member or a person referred to in paragraph (2) is an interested party;
(4)a body in which the member of the Council, the member's family member or a person referred to in paragraph (2) serves as a director or responsible employee.

Remuneration and Reimbursement of Expenses for a Council Member§

16.
(a)A member of the Council, including the Chairperson of the Council, who is not a State employee, an employee of a subsidised body or an employee of a supported body, shall be entitled to payment from the Ministry for participation in meetings of the Council in accordance with the instructions of the Accountant General at the Ministry of Finance applicable with respect to members of public committees.
(b)A member of the Council who is not entitled to remuneration under the provisions of subsection (a) is entitled to receive from the Council reimbursement of expenses incurred for the purpose of participating in meetings of the Council, subject to the provisions of subsection (a), provided that the member is not entitled to receive reimbursement of expenses from another source.
(c)In this Section, "State employee", "employee of a subsidised body" and "employee of a supported body" – as defined in Section 32 of the Budget Foundations Law.

Application of Laws to Members of the Council§

17.

Members of the Council who are not State employees shall, in their actions as members of the Council, be treated as State employees for the purposes of the following enactments and with respect to their actions on the Council:

(1)the Knesset Elections Law [Consolidated Version], 5729-1969;
(2)the State Service (Restriction of Party Activity and Collection of Funds) Law, 5719-1959 – the provisions applicable to State employees generally;
(3)the Public Service (Gifts) Law, 5740-1979;
(4)the Penal Law, 5737-1977 – the provisions applicable to public servants;
(5)the Evidence Ordinance [New Version], 5731-1971 – the provisions applicable to a public servant's certificate;
(6)the Public Service (Restrictions after Retirement) Law, 5729-1969.

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LawWelfare & Social Security

חוק הרשות הלאומית למאבק בעוני, תשפ"ה-2025

poverty law israel

national authority combat poverty

israeli poverty law 2025

reshut leumit neelum oni

poverty reduction law

social welfare authority law

israel poverty act

anti-poverty legislation

national poverty authority